Sweta Rajan-Rankin

Dr. Sweta Rajan-Rankin is a Reader in Social Work at the University of Kent's School of Social Sciences, joining in 2016. She holds a first-class B.A. in Psychology from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, and an M.Sc. in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Supported by a Chevening Scholarship, she earned an MSc and DPhil in Social Policy from the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on globalization, embodiment in social work, and racialized ageing, with recent projects exploring diaspora identities and sensory ethnography. She leads diversity initiatives in the Social Work program and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Authority. Awards include the M.K.Tata Prize and Kalanidhi Puraskar. Her teaching emphasizes critical thinking and interactive methods, fostering dialogue in classrooms. Professional roles include editorial work for Community Work and Family and reviews for major journals. She is a certified mindfulness trainer and actively contributes to sociological networks like the BSA Race and Ethnicity Study Group.

Her research spans transnational service work, embodiment theory, and the intersection of race and ageing. Current projects examine material culture’s role in ethnic identity and cross-cultural ageing experiences. She has published widely on emotional resilience in social work, work-life balance policies, and Black feminist critiques of Brexit. Her work bridges sociological theory with practical implications for policy and practice.

• Professional Roles: Diversity Lead, BA Admissions Lead
• Awards: M.K.Tata Prize, Kalanidhi Puraskar, Grace Mathews Shield
• Grants: Developing bids on diaspora material culture and Indian elders’ ageing experiences

Dr. Rajan-Rankin’s interdisciplinary approach integrates phenomenology, postcolonial theory, and sensory ethnography. She advocates for anti-racist social work practices and mentors PhD students in social policy, embodiment studies, and diaspora research.